Kai's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he was met with the warm glow of soft lanterns that cast a gentle light on the healing room. The air was thick with the scent of herbs and medicine, and the sound of soft chanting could be heard in the background. He was lying on a comfortable bed, surrounded by rows of identical beds, each one occupied by a recovering adventurer. The beds were adorned with crisp white linens, and the walls were lined with shelves containing various potions and medical supplies.
As Kai sat up, a figure burst into the room, a look of relief washing over her face. "Kai!" Lila exclaimed, launching herself at him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, nearly knocking him back onto the bed. The sound of her footsteps echoed through the room, and the creaking of the bedframe accompanied her enthusiastic greeting.
Kai chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sorry I scared you," he said, his voice low and flirtatious, his breath whispering against Lila's ear.
Lila's face turned bright red as she quickly jumped off Kai, her eyes darting around the room. "N-no, you didn't scare me," she stuttered. "I didn't even care if you...if you hadn't woken up."
Shinji, who had been watching the exchange with a knowing grin, chimed in. "Lila, weren't you the one crying 'Don't die, my Kai' just a little while ago?" He burst out laughing, and Lila's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
She quickly jumped to shut Shinji's mouth, her hand covering his lips. "Shut up, Shinji!"
Just then, Goro, the guild master, entered the room, a warm smile on his face. "Ah, nice to see that the group is now back together and alive again." His eyes landed on Kai, and his expression turned curious. "How are you doing now, Kai?"
Kai nodded, still looking a bit dazed. "I'm fine, thank you."
Goro's eyes narrowed. "I must say, I'm shocked. Our healers had prevented you from dying, but they didn't heal you completely. And yet, you're now all healed up in a matter of three hours. Just who are you?"
Kai's grin returned, and he said, with a hint of mischief, "I'm Kai, the leader of the nobles."
Lila smiled and nodded her head in agreement, her eyes shining with admiration.
Goro's expression turned thoughtful. "I see. Well, enough of that for now. Your team hasn't been registered with the guild yet. Please, follow me out of the healing room and to the guild's main hall, so we can register you."
As Kai walked into the guild's main hall, the room fell silent. The sound of murmured conversations and clinking glasses ceased, and all eyes turned to him. The air was thick with anticipation, and the weight of the adventurers' gazes was palpable.
Whispers began to circulate, like a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves. "He's the one who defeated the S-rank Devourer!" "I heard he's more powerful than Kieran!" The whispers grew louder, and the room's tension escalated.
Kieran, seated quietly with his team, overheard the whispers. His face turned grim, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened, as if he was struggling to contain his emotions.
Goro, the guild master, called out, "Kai, please come to the front desk. We need to finalize your team's registration." The Nobles swiftly followed Kai, their footsteps echoing through the silent hall.
Goro sat down, pen in hand, and asked, "Team name?" Kai replied, "The Nobles." His voice was calm and confident, but the guild master's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was searching for any sign of weakness.
Goro nodded. "Team members?" Kai responded, "Kai, Lila, and..." He glanced at Shinji, who was weaving a sarcastic goodbye sign. Shinji whispered, "I'm gonna kill you." Kai finished, "Shinji."
The guild master's eyes flicked to Shinji, and a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. But his expression quickly turned serious again.
Goro continued, "Now, let's proceed with the registration. We need to verify your ranks and skills." He nodded to one of the guild members, who nodded in response.
The guild member, a tall, lanky man with a friendly smile, walked over to a nearby shelf and retrieved a large, ornate box. He opened the box, revealing a giant, glowing orb inside.
"This is the Rank Verification Orb," the guild member explained. "It's a magical artifact that can detect an adventurer's rank and skills. Please, one of you, come forward and hold the orb."
Shinji stepped forward, a look of curiosity on his face. "I'll go first," he said. The guild member handed Shinji the orb, and the room fell silent again.
As Shinji touched the orb, it began to glow brighter. The guild member announced, "The orb is analyzing Shinji's abilities... Ah, the result is in! The orb has turned bright red!"
The guild member declared, "A-rank Adventurer!" The guild hall erupted in applause, and Shinji smiled, looking relieved.
Lila went next, her eyes fixed on the orb. The guild member handed her the orb, and she took a deep breath. As she touched the orb, it began to glow brighter. The guild member announced, "The orb is analyzing Lila's abilities... Ah, the result is in! The orb has turned bright red!"
The guild member declared, "A-rank Adventurer!" The hall cheered again, and Lila smiled, looking happy.
Now it was Kai's turn. The guild member handed him the orb, and the room fell silent once more. All eyes were locked on Kai, and the tension was palpable. Kieran's eyes narrowed, his face twisted in a mixture of anger and skepticism.
Kai's eyes locked onto the orb, and he could feel the weight of the room's expectations on his shoulders. He took a deep breath, his fingers closing around the orb. The orb began to glow brighter, and the room held its collective breath.
But instead of turning red, the orb turned a bright purple. The guild member's eyes widened. "The orb has has turned purple so does that mean that he is an S-rank adventurer like Kieran?"
Suddenly, the orb began changing colors and exploded. The hall fell silent, and the tension was replaced with shock and confusion.
Goro stumbled backward, shocked. Kieran stood up, his face grim. "Goro, what does this mean?" Goro stuttered, "SSS-rank..." The guild hall murmured in confusion.
Lila asked, "What is a SSS-rank adventurer?" Kieran responded with a hint of anger, "It's a rank many adventurers can only dream of reaching. Currently, there are only eight SSS-rank adventurers in this world, including the three heroes: Akira, Sakura, and Kaito."
Kai's face turned grim, memories of his betrayed friends flashing back. He asked Goro, "So, are we still registering, or don't you want us anymore?" The guild master's eyes darted nervously around the room before responding.
Goro quickly composed himself. "Of course, we'll register you.
Goro took a deep breath. "Welcome to the guild, The Nobles! Normally, teams start as D-rank, but since you have a SSS-rank adventurer you guys get a special pass, you'll start as an A-rank team!" Lila and Shinji beamed with pride.
Kai grinned mischievously at Shinji. "Looks like we're in this together, Shinji." Shinji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Congratulations, fearless leader."
Kieran stepped forward, his face red with anger. "I refuse to accept that someone as weak-looking as you is a SSS-rank adventurer and stronger than me!" The tension in the room escalated as Kieran's voice rose.
Shinji looked at Kieran with a hint of amusement. "You're an S-rank, while he's a SSS-rank. Do the math." Kieran's face turned purple with rage.
The guild master intervened, his voice firm but cautious. "Kieran, if you don't believe it, how about we settle this? Kieran, you and Kai's team, The Nobles, will face off in a guild team-vs-team match after 3 days!" Kieran quickly accepted, and Kai responded with a menacing tone, "If you want to die that badly, fine by me."
The room fell silent, the air thick with tension. Kieran's eyes locked onto Kai, and for a moment, it seemed like the two would clash right there. But then, Kieran turned and stormed out of the guild, his team following closely behind.
The guild hall erupted in chatter and speculation. "Did you see that? Kieran's never been challenged before!" "I heard Kai's a legendary SSS adventurer !" "I don't believe it. There's no way someone so young is a SSS-rank!"
Lila turned to Kai, her eyes shining with excitement. "Kai, this is amazing! We're going to be famous!" Shinji chuckled. "Yeah, and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Kai smiled, but his eyes remained serious. He knew that this was just the beginning. He had a long way to go before he could achieve his goals. And with Kieran's challenge, things were about to get a lot more interesting.
The news of a ninth SSS-rank adventurer, Kai, leader of The Nobles, spread like wildfire through the guild. People were shocked and surprised, and many were eager to see Kai in action.
As the guild members continued to speculate and gossip, the three heroes, Akira, Sakura, and Kaito, returned from their hunting grounds. They walked through the streets, tired but triumphant, only to be greeted by the shocking news.
The newspaper headlines read: "LEADER OF THE NOBLES CONFIRMED AS AN SSS RANK ADVENTURER." The three heroes exchanged a look, their faces serious. "It seems we have a new player in town," Akira said, his voice low and thoughtful.
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Wait why does it say leader of the Nobles do you think.", just then Kaito quickly shut Sakura's mouth with an intense gaze. "Don't you see that everyone is looking at us, we will talk about this when we get home.", he whispered
The three heroes walked off, determined to learn more about this mysterious SSS-rank adventurer, Kai. Little did they know, Kai's arrival was only the of a new era in the world of adventurers.