Chapter 28 - 27: The Guild and Absolute Obsession
The Sunday morning air of Oakhaven, the rugged border city sitting at the foot of the Grey Mountain Range, smelled heavily of damp earth, iron, and cheap ale. Far removed from the pristine marble halls of the capital, it was a lawless, bustling transit hub for mercenaries, poachers, and disgraced nobles looking to lose themselves in the frontier.
To blend into the chaotic crowds, the group wore muted traveling cloaks, keeping their faces partially shrouded. Victor led the way with effortless stride, flanked by a silent, watchful Lyra, while Elena and Kael lagged slightly behind, taking in the gritty, tense atmosphere of the border town.
Entering the local branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, they were greeted by the roaring din of drunk mercenaries and the clinking of wooden mugs. Victor navigated straight to the high-tier registrar counter without hesitation.
"We need a temporary squad registration," Victor said smoothly, tossing a heavy silk pouch onto the wooden counter.
The clerk opened it, his eyes widening at the gleam of high-grade imperial gold coins.
"A-A squad registration? Right away, sir," the clerk stammered, sweeping the gold beneath the desk.
The arrangements had already been meticulously prepared by Aria days in advance. Victor didn’t just purchase a temporary pass; he secured an official, high-ranking expedition license for their group under a discreet proxy name.
As Victor finalized the paperwork, he reflected on the investment.
This frontier region held multiple unmapped ruins and hidden catalyst vaults from the original novel.
This was far from the only expedition he intended to drag this group on.
"Here are your party tokens," the clerk said, handing over four polished copper badges. "Valid for all official dungeon entries within the province."
Elena accepted her token with trembling hands, her heart racing as she looked around the rough guildhall.
"Victor... are we really going into an unmapped dungeon? I-I’ve only ever done controlled Academy simulations..."
Kael immediately stepped in front of his sister, glaring at Victor with unyielding vigilance.
"Stay close to me, Elena. I don’t care what license he bought. If anything feels off out there, we’re turning back."
Looking for a sense of comfort or solidarity, Elena turned her gaze toward Lyra, the only other girl in their party. She took a timid step closer, trying to offer a gentle, friendly smile.
"Lady Lyra... um, if we’re going into the mountain pass, maybe we can look out for each other?"
Lyra’s response was ice-cold.
She didn’t even turn her head fully, her icy blue eyes shooting a sharp, piercing glare that sent a chill straight down Elena’s spine.
"Do not address me so familiarly, commoner," Lyra whispered, her voice laced with subtle hostility. "And stay out of my sight."
Elena flinched, shrinking back behind Kael, who growled low in his throat before Elena squeezed his arm, pleading with him to drop it.
Victor paid no mind to the petty dynamic.
He gathered the group near a quiet corner of the hall, spreading a simplified map over a wooden barrel.
"Listen closely," Victor commanded in a low tone. "We are heading toward an unmapped dungeon three miles north of the ridge. According to old expedition records, the entrance was sealed decades ago after an ancient mana vein collapsed in the surrounding region. Supposedly, rare elemental deposits remain inside."
He kept the crucial truth completely hidden.
He wasn’t there for simple mana deposits.
Deep within that dungeon rested two relics connected to the Ancient Dragon Slayer the Tears of Ancient Dragons and the Ancient Dragon Slayer’s Battle Axe. The Tears were the true reason Victor had come here.
"Elena, Kael," Victor ordered, rolling the map back up. "Go locate a secluded staging area near the eastern woods outside the city walls. Find a high-vantage clearing where you can clearly see the signal flare I will send up shortly. Do not wander off."
Kael looked suspicious, but knowing they needed a vantage point, he gritted his teeth, grabbed Elena’s arm, and headed for the guild exit.
Once the siblings were out of sight, Victor turned toward a secluded alcove behind the guildhall’s private meeting rooms.
Before he could even take a step, Lyra suddenly moved, grabbing his coat sleeve and pulling him into the shadows of the narrow hallway.
Her breathing was ragged, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes wide with a frantic, suffocating possessiveness. Throwing all noble decorum to the wind, she pressed her body firmly against his, her hands clutching his collar desperately.
"Victor... why are you paying so much attention to them?" Lyra whispered, her voice trembling with intense emotion. "You told me to keep quiet, but watching you speak to that girl... it’s driving me insane. Look at me... please, just look at me!"
Victor frowned slightly at her uncharacteristic, erratic behavior.
Her mana felt different, swirling with a dark, heavy weight.
He placed a hand on her waist to hold her back, mentally activating his system interface to inspect her status.
[Target Status: Lyra von Frostguard]
[Favorability: 100%]
[Obsession: Absolute]
[Loyalty: Absolute]
[Mental State: Unstable]
Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read the window.
100% Favorability... Absolute Obsession...
His gaze lingered on the final line.
The dark mana and her suppressed jealousy have completely distorted her mind.
A cold, calculating smirk touched his lips.
Absolute obsession meant absolute loyalty.
She was so deeply bound to him now that the thought of betrayal was fundamentally impossible.
There was no danger here.
Only an incredibly potent, weapon completely devoted to his whim.
Victor reached up, his gloved fingers wrapping firmly around her chin, forcing her to look directly into his pitch-black eyes.
"Calm down, Lyra," Victor said, his tone dropping into a low, velvet command.
Lyra shivered at his touch, her desperate panting slowly subsiding as she leaned her face helplessly into his palm.
"You’re acting like a wild animal," Victor murmured, his thumb brushing over her trembling lips. "If you behave yourself, follow my instructions, and prove your worth during this raid... I’ll treat you very well in our private quarter. Do you understand?"
At his promise, a surge of intense, intoxicated excitement flushed through Lyra’s entire body.
Her dark, tainted blue eyes dilated with pure delight, and a breathless, submissive smile spread across her face.
"Yes... yes, Master," Lyra whispered eagerly, clinging to his arm like a prized possession.
"I’ll be good. I’ll be your best girl... I promise."
Far from the guildhall, Aria remained behind in Oakhaven, carrying out another of Victor’s orders and quietly monitoring the city’s movements. She had already secured their registration and ensured that the group’s cover would remain intact.
Victor had no reason to doubt that everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
He didn’t know that the corruption twisting Lyra’s mana was not merely making her more obedient.
It was changing her.
And the deeper they ventured into the Grey Mountain Range, the closer that corruption would come to consuming everything Victor thought he controlled.