Iron Sovereign: I Hunt the Apex

Chapter 5: The Guild Exhibition

Aiden stepped through the fading red light, his boots landing on smooth, polished white marble. Bright spotlights blinded his eyes for a second, and a deafening roar of cheering spectators hit his ears like a wave.

He adjusted his grip on the glowing red energy blade, taking in his surroundings. He was not in an empty city alley. He stood on a high stone platform overlooking a massive arena filled with thousands of shouting people. Giant digital screens hung above the crowd, showing live footage of the platform where he had just appeared.

In the center of the arena floor, Marcus stood holding a metallic microphone. He wore his silver guild armor, polished to a high shine, and held his hands up to quiet the roaring crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Marcus's voice boomed through the surrounding loudspeakers. "Welcome to the annual Iron Vanguard Recruitment Exhibition. As you saw on the screen, our frontline squad has successfully cleared Sector Seven. We lost a low-tier porter during the initial ambush, but his sacrifice allowed us to slay the beast lords and secure the zone for the city."

The crowd cheered loudly, clapping for the guild's success.

Aiden felt a cold anger flare in his chest. Marcus was turning his cowardly betrayal into a heroic story for public relations. He was using Aiden's supposed death to gain fame and funding for the Iron Vanguard.

Aiden looked down at his clothes. His shirt was torn, stained with dirt, green monster blood, and red dust from the rift. But beneath the dirt, his body felt stronger than ever. The dark energy he absorbed from Vance made his movements feel smooth and silent.

Aiden stepped to the edge of the stone platform and jumped.

He did not use a ladder. He dropped thirty feet straight down to the main arena floor, landing on his feet with a heavy thud that cracked the white marble beneath his boots.

The loud crack echoed through the stadium, cutting off Marcus in the middle of his speech. The bright spotlights swung away from the main stage and locked directly onto Aiden.

The crowd went silent. Thousands of eyes shifted from Marcus to the solitary figure standing in a cloud of white marble dust.

Marcus turned around, his smug smile fading instantly. His eyes went wide as he recognized Aiden's face. His gaze dropped to the red energy blade humming in Aiden's right hand, then to the black leather pouch hanging from Aiden's belt. That pouch belonged to Vance.

"You," Marcus whispered, his voice picking up on the microphone and echoing across the entire stadium.

Aiden took three steady steps forward, the red blade leaving a faint trail of heat in the air behind him.

"You told everyone I died in Sector Seven, Marcus."

Marcus panicked for a split second, but he quickly recovered his composure. He lowered the microphone slightly and glared at Aiden with cold hatred. He knew if the truth came out in front of the press and city officials, his career and the guild's reputation would be ruined.

"Security," Marcus shouted into the microphone, his voice sharp and aggressive. "This porter has been corrupted by rift energy. He is unstable and hostile. Take him down before he hurts the spectators."

Four heavy guards in full iron plate armor stepped out from the side gates of the arena. They carried heavy steel shields and long shock batons. They formed a tight line and moved toward Aiden, aiming to crush him against the arena wall.

Aiden did not back away. He activated his new Shadow Stride trait.

His body seemed to blur as he moved forward. To the guards, he looked like a shadow sliding across the bright marble floor. Before the lead guard could raise his heavy shield, Aiden appeared right in front of him.

Aiden did not use his sword to kill. He raised his left foot and kicked the heavy steel shield with all his increased physical power.

The blow landed with a loud boom. The metal shield caved inward, slamming into the guard's chest and sending the giant man flying backward into the other three guards. All four heavy fighters tumbled across the floor in a mess of steel armor and shields.

The crowd gasped in shock. A low-tier porter was not supposed to possess this kind of raw speed or strength.

Aiden kept moving, stepping past the fallen guards and walking straight toward the central stage.

Marcus backed up two steps, drawing his glowing broadsword from its sheath. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he watched Aiden approach without a single scratch on his skin.

"How did you survive?" Marcus growled, dropping the microphone onto the floor. "Sector Seven was full of high-grade stone hide beasts. A weak nobody like you should have been torn to pieces in five minutes."

"I survived because I fought for my life while you ran away like a coward," Aiden said, stopping ten feet from the stage. "And I found Vance in the mall lobby. He tried to finish what you started."

Marcus's face turned pale. He looked at the black leather pouch at Aiden's waist again, realizing Vance was dead.

"You killed a senior guild officer," Marcus said, trying to regain his confidence. "That is a treasonous crime. You will be executed by the city council."

"Then come try to execute me yourself," Aiden said, raising his red energy blade and pointing the tip directly at Marcus's chest.

Marcus gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage. He raised his broadsword, channeling his mana into the metal until the blade glowed with bright white light. He leaped off the raised stage, swinging his heavy sword downward in a furious overhead strike.

Aiden raised his red blade to meet the attack.

The two weapons collided with a blinding flash of light and a loud shockwave that blew dust away in all directions. The marble beneath their boots shattered, sending stone chips flying through the air.

Aiden held his position effortlessly, absorbing the impact without bending his knees. Marcus gasped as he realized Aiden's physical strength was greater than his own.

Before Aiden could counter, a deep, booming voice echoed from the high royal balcony above the arena.

"Stop this madness at once."

A tall man in gold robes stepped to the edge of the balcony, surrounded by elite guards. It was Guild Master Vane, the ruler of the entire city sector. He looked down at Aiden with sharp, calculating eyes.

"Young man," Guild Master Vane said, his voice carrying over the silent stadium. "You claim Marcus betrayed you, but you carry the blade of an ancient sentry and the power of a high-tier hunter. If you wish to prove your claim, you must survive the Guild Trial right now."

Vane raised his hand and pulled a dark lever on the balcony rail.

A heavy iron gate at the far end of the arena floor slowly rolled upward. From the dark tunnel behind the gate, a deep, terrifying roar shook the entire stadium, and four giant red eyes opened in the darkness.