Chapter 40 – Tension with Crimson Fang

The guild hall of East City fell into an uneasy silence after Yuna’s curt refusal.

The leader of Crimson Fang—a tall man draped in a crimson robe with a dragon emblem across his chest—narrowed his golden eyes at her. His voice was smooth but laced with danger.

“You’re rejecting us? Just like that?” He took a step forward, the hall’s wooden floorboards creaking under his boots. “Do you even know who we are? Crimson Fang is not some random adventuring party. We are—”

“—an elite veteran party,” Yuna interrupted coldly, her tone level as ice. “Yes, I know exactly who you are. But Zareen doesn’t need you.”

The hall erupted into hushed whispers.

“She just refused Crimson Fang?”

“Is she insane? No one turns them down!”

“Wait a minute… isn’t she that Dark Knight from the Frost Dragon raid years ago?”

Zareen’s heart skipped a beat. *Frost Dragon raid…?*

He turned quickly to Yuna, confusion mixing with awe.

Sari, leaning lazily on the table, smirked. “Yep. I was there too. The biggest raid during beta. Every top player came, even Crimson Fang.”

A grizzled veteran at the bar nodded solemnly. “I remember. Hundreds of players teamed up. The result? The Frost Dragon slaughtered every last one of them. Nobody made it out alive.”

Yuna’s gaze dropped slightly. “Yes. We all lost. Even Sari and I were destroyed, over and over.” Her voice hardened. “So don’t lecture me about ‘elite accomplishments.’ I know exactly what those mean.”

The air grew heavier, the tension almost palpable. The leader of Crimson Fang clenched his fist, his expression darkening.

---

### Zareen’s Thoughts

Zareen’s stomach twisted. *Wait a second. Yuna and Sari… they were elite players? Veterans of the most infamous raid in history?*

His hands tightened around his staff. *All this time, I’ve been running missions with… living legends?*

He glanced at Yuna. Her face was unreadable, cold and calm, as though this confrontation was nothing more than a passing inconvenience. Beside her, Sari looked amused, clearly enjoying the drama rather than being threatened by it.

Doni leaned in, whispering to Zareen with wide eyes. “Bro, do you realize what this means? We’re a bunch of rookies—except we’re teamed up with two former top-tier players. Do you get how insane that is?”

Zareen swallowed hard. “I… am just realizing that now,” he muttered under his breath.

---

### The Pressure Mounts

The Crimson Fang leader stepped forward until he was only a few paces away from Zareen. His presence was overwhelming, his eyes burning with authority.

“Zareen,” he said, his voice deep and commanding. “You still have a choice. Join us. With Crimson Fang, you’ll have access to the biggest raids on the continent, legendary loot, the fastest path to the top.”

Zareen froze. The entire guild hall had gone silent again, every adventurer’s gaze now focused squarely on him.

Before he could open his mouth, Yuna moved. She stepped between them, her dark armor glinting under the torchlight.

“He already has a choice,” she said, her voice low but ringing with finality. “He’s with us. End of discussion.”

Sari propped her chin on one hand, her tone playful but her words sharp. “Besides, if your party couldn’t handle the Frost Dragon raid last time, what makes you think you can guide Zareen to victory now?”

A ripple of laughter and murmurs ran through the hall. Some adventurers smirked, clearly enjoying the verbal jab.

The Crimson Fang leader’s jaw tightened. His crimson cloak flared as he turned slightly, his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping the hilt of his weapon.

---

### Zareen’s Heart

Zareen stared at the ground, gripping his staff so tightly his knuckles went white.

*Why does this feel like I’m being fought over… when I’m just a pure support mage with no offensive skills?*

His chest tightened. *And yet… why do I feel strangely relieved that it was Yuna who spoke for me?*

Doni leaned in again, grinning ear to ear. “Bro, this is the dream. You’ve got a gorgeous Dark Knight acting like your personal bodyguard. If you blow this, I’ll never forgive you.”

Zareen groaned and shoved Doni’s head away. “Shut up, Doni.”

---

### Breaking the Standoff

At last, the Crimson Fang leader let out a sharp breath and straightened.

“Hmph. Fine. Enjoy your time with your little team,” he said coldly. “But when you realize we’ve long surpassed you… don’t regret not taking this chance.”

He turned sharply, signaling for his party to follow. One by one, the members of Crimson Fang stalked out of the guild hall, their boots striking the floor with a heavy, deliberate rhythm.

The door swung shut with a loud *thud*.

For a moment, no one moved. Then a few adventurers let out low whistles or clapped their hands together in quiet admiration.

“Bold move,” someone muttered.

“That Dark Knight… she’s no joke.”

Zareen felt his face flush hot. *I didn’t ask for any of this… and yet somehow, I feel like I’ve been pulled into something far bigger than myself.*

Yuna returned to her seat as though nothing had happened. Her expression had returned to its usual calm neutrality, but Zareen thought he saw a faint flicker of something softer in her eyes.

“You don’t need to be tempted by them,” Yuna said simply, not looking up. “Our path is enough.”

Zareen hesitated, then gave a small smile. “Yeah… I trust you.”

For the first time since Crimson Fang entered, Yuna’s lips curved—just slightly.

And though the guild hall slowly returned to its usual noise and bustle, Zareen couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much larger story.