Beast Evolution Forge - Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Guild Masters 2
The arena was almost empty now. Only Vell, the guild masters, and a few brave guards remained.

The silence felt heavy after all the chaos.

Sara watched from her hiding spot behind a pillar. She knew she should leave, but something kept her there. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe she just needed to see how this would end.

“Now then,” Vell said, his sword still humming with strange power. “Shall we finish this properly?”

The guild masters slowly got to their feet. Their fancy clothes were torn, and their proud faces showed pain. But their eyes burned with anger.

“You’ve made a terrible mistake,” the shadowy master said, spitting blood. “Even if you kill us, the other sections won’t stand for this.”

Vell laughed. “You think I care about the other sections? They’re next on my list.”

The righteous master’s eyes went wide. “You’re insane. The combined might of all sections would crush you!”

“Would they?” He moved so fast he seemed to disappear. He reappeared behind the righteous master, sword at his throat. “Just like you’re crushing me now?”

The other masters jumped back, ready to attack. But Vell just pushed their friend away.

“I’m getting bored,” he said. “Here’s your last chance – kneel and accept me as your leader, or die. Simple choice.”

The big master roared and charged, his fists glowing with power. “I’ll never kneel to scum like you!”

He sighed. “Wrong choice.”

What happened next was too fast for Sara to follow. There were flashes of light, the sound of metal breaking, and screams. When it was over, the big master lay on the ground.

He wasn’t moving.

“Anyone else want to be stupid?” He asked, cleaning his sword.

The remaining masters looked at their fallen friend, then at each other. Slowly, one by one, they dropped to their knees.

“Good choice,” he said. “Now, let’s talk about the new rules.”

But before he could continue, a new voice rang out. “That’s quite enough.”

Everyone turned to look. A man in white robes stood at the arena entrance. He wasn’t very tall or strong-looking, but something about him made Sara’s skin crawl.

Vell’s smile disappeared. “Well, well. I was wondering when you’d show up… Guild Leader.”

The man in white walked forward slowly. “I must admit, you’ve exceeded expectations. Taking down all five masters at once? Impressive.”

“Save your praise. Are you here to stop me?”

The Guild Leader shook his head. “Stop you? No, no. I’m here to congratulate you.” He spread his arms wide. “Welcome to the inner circle. You’ve passed the test.”

Sara gasped. Test? What was he talking about?

Vell’s eyes narrowed. “What game are you playing?”

“No game,” the Guild Leader said. “Did you really think we didn’t know what you were? That we couldn’t sense your true power?” He laughed softly. “We’ve been watching you since you arrived. Waiting to see if you had what it takes.”

“Takes for what?”

“To join us, of course. The real rulers. The ones above even the sections.” The Guild Leader’s smile grew wider. “You’ve proven yourself worthy. Together, we could-”

He didn’t finish. Vell’s sword flashed, and suddenly there was a thin red line across the Guild Leader’s throat.

“Not interested,” he said coldly.

The Guild Leader touched his neck, looking at the blood on his fingers with surprise. “You… you dare?”

“I dare a lot of things,” he replied. “Like this.”

His next strike should have taken the Guild Leader’s head off. But the man wasn’t there anymore. He had moved faster than Vell.

“Oh?” Vell’s eyes lit up with real interest for the first time. “Maybe this won’t be boring after all.”

The Guild Leader’s white robes fluttered as power began pouring from him. “You’ve made a terrible mistake, boy. Let me show you what real power looks like.”

Sara finally decided it was time to leave. As she ran from the arena, she heard explosions behind her, and felt the ground shake beneath her feet.

For the first time since arriving in this section, Vell felt pain.

The Guild Leader’s fist crashed into his chest, sending him flying through three arena walls. Before he could even stand, another hit caught him in the face, smashing him into the ground.

“Surprised?” The Guild Leader’s voice came from above. He hadn’t even messed up his white robes. “You’re not the only one with great power.”

Vell spat blood and smiled. “Finally, someone interesting.” He got up, wiping his mouth. “But don’t get cocky yet.”

He charged forward, his sword becoming a blur of motion. The Guild Leader dodged each strike, moving like water. Then his hand shot out, catching Vell’s sword arm.

“Too slow,” he said, and threw Vell into the air.

The next few seconds were pure pain. The Guild Leader appeared above, below, and around him, hitting him from every direction. Each punch felt like being hit by a mountain.

“What’s wrong?” The Guild Leader taunted as Vell crashed to the ground again. “Where’s all that confidence from earlier?”

Vell tried to stand, but his legs shook. His body hurt in ways he hadn’t felt in months. “Shut up,” he growled.

“Make me.” The Guild Leader appeared in front of him, hands in his pockets. “Oh wait, you can’t.”

Rage filled Vell’s eyes.

He swung his sword with all his might, but the Guild Leader simply leaned back slightly, letting the blade pass harmlessly by.

“Too angry. Too sloppy.” Another punch sent Vell skidding across the arena floor. “Is this really all you have? Did I expect too much…tch”

From their kneeling positions, the remaining guild masters watched in awe. They had never seen their leader fight seriously before.

“He’s toying with him,” one whispered.

“Like a cat with a mouse,” another agreed.

Vell heard them and his anger grew. He had come too far to be humiliated like this. His predator eyes glowed brighter as he gathered his power.

“Oh?” The Guild Leader raised an eyebrow. “Finally getting serious?”

“You wanted to see my real power?” Vell’s voice became deeper, more inhuman. “Fine. Let me show you.”

The air around him began to distort. The ground cracked under his feet. His sword started giving off black smoke.

The Guild Leader’s smile faded slightly. “Interesting… Very interesting.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” he snarled. Then he moved.

This time, his strike was too fast for even the Guild Leader to dodge completely. A thin cut appeared on his cheek.

“Better,” the Guild Leader said, touching the cut. “But still not good enough.”

Their next clash shook the entire arena. Vell’s newfound speed and power met the Guild Leader’s overwhelming experience and skill. Each hit made the air itself scream.

But slowly, very slowly, Vell began to understand. Each exchange taught him something new about his opponent’s style. Each failure showed him a new way to attack.

The Guild Leader noticed too. His smile grew smaller with each passing moment. His attacks became more serious, less playful.

“You adapt quickly,” he said, blocking another of Vell’s strikes. “But…”

His hand moved in a blur, grabbing Vell’s face. “You’re still too young!”

He slammed Vell into the ground with enough force to create a crater. Then he raised his other hand, white energy gathering in his palm.

“Let me show you the difference between us.”

The energy blast that followed was like nothing Vell had ever seen. It wasn’t just powerful – it seemed to bend reality itself.

As the light engulfed him, Vell had one thought: “This might actually hurt.”

The explosion that followed could be seen from across the city.

The dust settled around the massive crater. The Guild Leader stood at its edge, looking down at where Vell had been. His white robes fluttered in the wind, stained with dirt and blood for the first time in decades.

“Well, that was disappoint-”

A laugh cut through the silence. It started low, almost quiet, then grew into something that made even the remaining guild masters step back in fear.

Through the settling dust, a figure rose. Vell’s clothes were torn and burnt, blood dripping from various wounds. But his eyes… his eyes had changed.

[Removing First Limiter. Executing…]

“You know,” Vell said, his voice distorting slightly, “I haven’t heard that warning in a while.” He cracked his neck, and the sound echoed unnaturally. “The last time was… ah yes, when I destroyed that pesky guardian that tried to kill me… just like you are trying right now.”

The Guild Leader’s confident smile wavered. Something was different. The air around Vell changed, becoming heavier, more oppressive… dangerous.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded, but there was a new edge to his voice.

Vell’s smile grew wider, showing teeth that seemed sharper than before. “Let me tell you a secret,” he said, taking a step forward. The ground cracked beneath his feet. “All this time, I’ve been holding myself back so badly. Safety measures, you might say. To keep me from… breaking things too badly.”

Another step. The crater’s edge began to crumble.

“But you,” his smile became something inhuman, “you’ve earned a proper fight. System, execute limiter removal.”

[First Limiter: Disengaged] [Warning: Power surge detected] [Caution: Host body entering enhanced state]

The change was instant and terrifying. Dark energy erupted from his body, forming patterns that looked like ancient, forbidden symbols. His wounds began healing, steam rising from his skin. But it was his smile that truly changed the atmosphere – it was the smile of a predator who had just spotted particularly interesting prey.

For the second time in his long life, the Guild Leader felt a chill run down his spine.

“What… what are you?” he whispered.

“Now that’s a better question than before,” his replied, his voice carrying echoes that shouldn’t be possible. “But I think it’s more fun to show than tell.”

He vanished.

The Guild Leader’s instincts screamed. He threw up a barrier of pure energy – his strongest defense. It had stopped powerful attacks before but…

Vell’s fist went through it like it was paper.

The impact sent the Guild Leader flying through the arena’s outer wall and into the city beyond. He crashed through three buildings before managing to stop himself.

“Impossible,” he coughed, wiping blood from his mouth. “That barrier was-”

“Was what?” he appeared before him, still wearing that terrible smile. “Strong? Unbreakable?” He leaned closer, his predator eyes now swirling with dark energy. “You haven’t seen strong yet.”

The Guild Leader tried to jump back, but Vell’s hand shot out, grabbing his pristine white robe.

“Where are you going?” His smile widened even further. “Come on, play with me more.”

Fear overwhelmed him.

“Now then,” Vell’s voice carried an almost gleeful tone, “shall we have some real fun?”

The dark symbols around him pulsed, and the very air seemed to scream in anticipation of what was to come.