Emperor's Reckoning

The adventurer guild in Guild HQ was bustling and packed with cultivators from around the world. They were laughing and the buzzing chatter of fools permeated the area. Their smile was unrestricted as each table bought fascinating and unique stories of their own. Drinks of booze were permitted but with their cultivation level, it would seem that they had some caliber in terms of handling such liquor on their own.

The spiraling stairs were in the center of the tower as they lead to the floor above. There was something more unique about the adventurers that took the stairs than those who don't. The smugness in their face was visible but it was justified and backed by the strength that they withhold. The higher rank of adventurer naturally won't settle with those whose lesser than them, though in rare cases, some of them would.

The tall muscular man and the man in a butler suit definitely caught the eyes of some. Standing and looked lost, both of them definitely exuded the newcomer's aura. One of them smirked as they looked at the newbie before darting his glance toward his friends.

"Take a look at those newbies."

"They looked like a powerful duo don't you think? A giant and a scrawny, hahaha!"

"Shh! Shut your mouth, you might offend them, who will take responsibility when the giant took one step and shook the tower, hahaha!"

The receptionist could definitely hear what the loud table was talking about as she squinted her eyes before handing out a paper to the adventurer that requested it, right in front of her. She didn't respond to his gratitude before she crossed her arms and taking a good look toward the two. She had every right to warn of their slandering actions, but she had never seen the two of them before. The dynamic duo was sure to be something else if the presence of this many cultivators didn't make them faze.

(Not a fidget, definitely those two are not ordinary cultivators) thought the receptionist before noticing their clothes. (Hmmm... it didn't seem that they are vagrant cultivators, but I have no information about them. Gauging their cultivation level would be gambling so I rather not, thank the gods the fools are baiting them).

"Hmm?" the one with the glasses immediately had his eyes turned sharp before he fixed his glasses. The emotion in his eyes was slightly hidden by his hand but his ears had caught up a buzzing fly that irritated his ears.

"Tch, acting all cool coz he is handsome... fuck off!"

"Then let's teach him a lesson."

"Are you sure, the receptionist might break your leg for it?"

"Nah, it's fine, as long as we didn't break the rules, this place will allow it."

"Oi! Oi! You! Oi! Bartender!" said one of the adventurers with smugness in his face. The superiority feeling of being a senior had him by the finger.

The receptionist excused that rude calling since the guild was not a place that was strict to formality. It was all too common to see them calling each other rudely and they were not offended in any way, or at the very least, they didn't show it. The hierarchy of superiority was clear and they started to abuse their status little by little, however, the higher-ups had noticed this kind of behavior, but nothing too major had happened yet for them to do something.

"Hmm?" the one with the glasses hummed before glancing his way.

"Don't 'hmm' me, come over here and let this senior teach you a thing or two in the Guild HQ, hahaha! After all, it's a rule that the more experienced one may guide the new ones so that they can fend themselves."

They all chuckled at his words. Obviously, there was no such rule in the guild guide. It was blatantly obvious that he wanted to bully him.

The one with the glasses smirk before he turned around and faced the one that called him. His taller partner looked at him before shaking his head with a smile.

The moment he took one step forward the adventurer immediately had a slight doubt. He couldn't see the emotion behind those glasses as the angle reflected the light and hid them. He immediately tried to gauge the butler cultivation realm before his eyes opened wide and his lips puckered up a smile (Godhood.... hehehe, entry-level godhood and you acted all high and mighty, this is going to be good). He grinned his teeth out as he looked at them.

The one in the butler suit sparked formality as even the way he walked was full of grace and etiquette. The perfect bearing of a butler was exuded as he kept his clothes clean and neat, even the white gloves that he wore had no speck of dust.

(He didn't let out his killing intent on purpose, he..) the tall muscular one with ashen gray hair chuckled inwardly (he is toying with them). He suddenly raised his eyebrows, "Hmm?" before taking a glance to the side and look at one of the smirking adventurers from the opposite of the table. He crossed his arms before he turned around and faced him. His eyes exuded scorn before he twitched his eyebrows.

The adventurer didn't notice before a wild bullet of wind went straight against his glabella.

*PAK!

His head was slammed back from the excruciating force. His pupils shimmered as they disappeared instantly after the contact. His mouth was gaping before he passed out on his chair with a hint of blood escaping his orifice.

"Oi.. what's wrong? Oi!"

"He is probably drunk and passes out."

"There is blood coming out of his mouth!"

"That's wine."

"Oh... right, I guess I was panicking."

"Guess so, why is that newbie looking at us though, oh there he turned around."

"Must have been afraid of your sharp gaze."

"Don't make this weird man.

"Sorry."

Whilst his friends didn't notice the incredible and bizarre thing that just happened, the receptionist opened her eyes wide as she saw what happened. (You're kidding me... he just twitched his eyebrows and the mana surrounding that place coagulated and shot towards?!) she made a harsh swallow. She knew the passed-out adventurer, he was amongst the ones that were going to ascend to the next floor in a few cultivation levels more.

(I have to stop them! I have  to—) her pupils shrunken as a cold chilling hue locked her spine and froze her body. (W-What's going on?!) thought the receptionist as she could feel her heart skipping a beat.

(You could have stopped them, but now, just stay and watch)

She felt a shivering cold tone as her pupils slowly moved and took a glance at the ashen-haired man. (It's coming from him!) thought the receptionist. The pressure that was upon her was perfectly controlled as she stood like she had experienced nothing from a careless onlooker's point of view but couldn't move a muscle in the actuality.

The adventurer smugly called out of the man in a butler suit slowly furrowed his eyebrows as he could see the condescending gaze that the latter give out behind his glasses.

"Hmm..." the adventurer stood up before facing him with a glare.

"Oi oi oi, don't overdo it now, she will definitely break your leg."

"I can take her beatings, but what do you think you're doing? Looking at me like I'm some scum? Newbie."

He clenched his fist as his intimidating aura started to exude and spread over the area. He might have offended the Guild HQ but he heard no warning from the receptionist and kept increasing his superiority to the scrawny butler.

He smirked, "Heh, how is it, knowing that somebody is more powerful than your master."

"Hm? Hahahaha!" laughed the butler after a raise of his eyebrows. He covered his face with one hand as he faced against the roof laughing.

"Are you telling me that you are stronger than my master? I guess the world does indeed had gone senile, I can count the people that dare to say that to me with two hands in my entire life," said the butler as he showed ten of his fingers, but the tone of his words suddenly turned cold as he continued, "and less than one for those that had lived afterward."

*SPLURT!

His friends that were still sitting at the table suddenly felt being splashed by something toward his face. His tongue felt the taste of iron before he snapped back to reality. Blood of his friend had smeared the table and the other friend's face. The Guild HQ entered a deep silence as all of their eyes opened wide seeing the glove that was clean and white had turned red on the other side of the adventure's body.

"I'll let you live on her behalf," muttered the butler before he lightly pushed away from the adventurer with his other hand to pull out the red glove one.

The body didn't even tumble as it fell backward with a hole in his right chest. The adventurer couldn't grasp what just happened before he passed out due to the crazy amount of blood that he lost.

The butler snorted as he took off the red glove and threw it on top of the adventurer's body before putting a new one. His eyes immediately darted toward the rigid receptionist without delay.