Hollow Ascension

Chapter 5: Gains and Losses

The tense exchange between Edrik and the bronze adventurers had set the entire guildhall buzzing. Kael stood back in the shadows, his eyes scanning the room as whispers spread like wildfire. Some adventurers looked on with smug satisfaction, entertained by the conflict. Others shifted uneasily, sensing that something had shifted in the guild's atmosphere.

Kael watched them all, his gaze steady and calculating. The rift was forming, just as he had hoped. Now, it was time to observe how deep it ran and who might be caught up in it.

Edrik, still standing with his chest puffed out and arms crossed, sneered at the bronze-ranked adventurers. "You think you deserve respect?" he barked, his voice dripping with contempt. "Prove it, then! Until you do, you're nothing but a drain on the guild's resources."

The scarred woman from earlier, her face flushed with anger, looked ready to retort, but a fellow bronze-ranker pulled her back. Kael noted the restraint with a slight nod. Good. There was no need for this to explode into an all-out fight—yet. The goal was to build tension, to create cracks in the foundation that would grow over time.

Edrik scoffed and turned away, waving a dismissive hand. "Pathetic," he muttered to his companions, who laughed and jeered alongside him. The bronze-rankers settled back into their seats, simmering with resentment.

Perfect, Kael thought. The confrontation had been enough to stir feelings of discontent, but not so much that it forced Garreth, the guild master, to intervene. It was a simmering pot now, one he intended to let bubble over at just the right moment.

A faint whisper echoed in his mind as the System made itself known again.

[Contract Progress: 40% - Division Sown]

Kael exhaled slowly, a sliver of satisfaction curling through him. The contract was moving forward. The System seemed to be measuring the disorder based on the emotional currents in the room—the resentment, the anger, and the animosity that now simmered beneath the surface.

He cast his gaze around the hall, taking in the various reactions. Most of the lower-ranked adventurers were clearly upset, casting furtive, hostile glances toward Edrik and his group. In contrast, the mid and high-ranked adventurers appeared indifferent or amused, too self-absorbed to notice the storm brewing around them. That indifference would be their downfall.

"Well, that was... something," Finn muttered as he sidled up beside Kael. His eyes were wary, flicking between Kael and the ongoing scene. "You started something back there, you know."

Kael gave a casual shrug, keeping his voice light. "Did I? All I did was repeat what I heard. Edrik's the one who decided to make a spectacle of it."

Finn's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying the innocent act. "You played them," he said quietly. "You knew exactly how they'd react."

Kael met Finn's gaze, his expression betraying nothing. "Perhaps," he admitted. "But it's not about playing them. It's about showing them what's already there. The resentment was always present; I simply nudged it into the open."

Finn shifted uncomfortably, glancing back at the other adventurers. "I don't know what you're planning, Kael, but this place is dangerous enough without stirring up more trouble."

"Trouble is already here," Kael replied evenly. "It's just a matter of who learns to use it first." He let his eyes wander back to the room, assessing the undercurrents of tension. "Stick close, Finn. You'll see that this is only the beginning."

Finn opened his mouth as if to argue, but then thought better of it, sighing instead. "Fine, but if this blows up in our faces, I'm not taking the fall with you."

Kael smirked faintly. "Noted."

As Finn retreated to another part of the hall, Kael settled back against the wall, crossing his arms as he continued to watch. It was a delicate balance now. He had to let the tension grow naturally without forcing it too quickly. The best conflicts were those that seemed to emerge organically, leaving people unaware of the guiding hand behind them.

Movement at the entrance caught his eye. A group of adventurers was returning from a mission, their armor stained with dirt and blood. Garreth Stoneclaw, the guild master, strode forward to greet them, his eyes quickly assessing their condition. The newcomers wore grim expressions, their heads lowered as they reported to Garreth in hushed tones.

Kael strained to catch snippets of their conversation, angling his body slightly to listen in. "—ambushed on the western outskirts," one of the adventurers said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Barely got out. We lost two..."

Garreth's jaw tightened, and he nodded curtly. "Rest up. We'll discuss the details tomorrow."

The adventurers dispersed, some heading toward the back rooms while others collapsed into chairs near the fireplace. Garreth stood in place for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the hall, a mixture of weariness and frustration etched into his features.

Interesting, Kael thought, his eyes narrowing. An ambush on the western outskirts. The guild was already stretched thin dealing with various threats, and now losses would only fuel unrest. This new information could be leveraged. He needed to know more about these attacks and how they were affecting the guild's operations.

As Garreth turned to leave, his eyes caught Kael's, and for a split second, their gazes locked. There was no immediate recognition in the guild master's eyes, just a fleeting look of curiosity, perhaps wondering who this quiet figure was that seemed to blend into the background. Kael offered a small, polite nod, and Garreth, distracted, simply nodded back before moving toward his office.

Kael watched him go, a faint smile playing at the edges of his lips. The guild master was focused on the obvious threats, the ones outside the walls of the guild. He would never suspect that the real danger was already inside, quietly setting things in motion.

[Contract Progress: 50% - Tension Escalated]

The System's notification echoed in his mind, and Kael's smile widened ever so slightly. Things were moving according to plan. With the unrest he had sparked, the guild's focus was divided. They were no longer unified in dealing with external threats, which meant they would soon start making mistakes, leaving themselves vulnerable to internal strife.

But Kael knew that pushing too far, too quickly, would expose him. He needed to maintain his facade of a weak, low-ranked member while carefully pulling the strings from behind the scenes. His approach had to be subtle, so the cracks in the guild's unity would widen naturally, creating the disorder he needed without pointing directly back to him.

Stepping away from the wall, Kael made his way toward the back of the hall, heading for the exit that led to the training grounds. He needed a quiet place to think, to plan his next steps. As he passed by the bronze-rankers' table, he caught a glimpse of their faces—still tense, still angry. Good, he thought. The spark had been lit, and now it would smolder, waiting for the right moment to burst into flame.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Kael stepped out into the cool evening air. The training grounds were nearly empty now, the daylight fading into dusk. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself. The night air was crisp, and for a fleeting second, it reminded him of his previous life—the nights spent planning, maneuvering, always staying one step ahead of his enemies.

"You're playing with fire," a voice said behind him, breaking the silence.

Kael turned to see Finn standing a few feet away, his expression a mixture of concern and caution. "Am I?" Kael replied calmly. "Or am I simply lighting the way forward?"

Finn frowned, crossing his arms. "You know what I mean. The others—they're not going to stay quiet for long. Edrik's already looking for someone to blame, and the guild master's bound to notice the tension sooner or later."

Kael regarded Finn for a moment, then nodded. "True. But that's the point. When tension rises, people show their true faces. Loyalties are tested, cracks form, and then..." He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

"And then?" Finn pressed.

Kael's gaze turned cold, his eyes piercing through the fading light. "Then we find out who's strong enough to weather the storm."

Finn stared at him, searching for something in his expression, perhaps some hint of remorse or doubt. Finding none, he sighed, shaking his head. "You're not like the others," he said quietly. "You don't want to fight; you want to control the fight."

Kael inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the truth in Finn's words. "Control is power, Finn. And power is what makes the difference between survival and death in this world."

For a moment, the only sound was the distant clanging of a hammer from the blacksmith's forge. Then, the System whispered in Kael's mind, its voice cold and emotionless:

[Contract Progress: 60% - Influence Gained]

Kael's lips curled into a faint smile. He turned back toward the guildhall, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Keep your eyes open, Finn. Things are going to get interesting."

Without waiting for a reply, he walked away, leaving Finn standing in the twilight, his expression a mixture of worry and reluctant admiration.

As Kael approached the hall's entrance, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder at the darkening training grounds. The pieces are in place, he thought. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Let them think they're in control," he whispered to himself, a chill running through the evening air. "It'll make their fall all the sweeter."

With that, he pushed open the door and stepped back into the guildhall, ready for the next move in the game he had begun.