: The Demon Gladiator

The guild fell into a tense silence as every eye locked onto the towering figure standing in the doorway.

Even Nate found himself staring in disbelief.

The man before them carried ten Level 60 golems slung over one shoulder, and in his other hand, he dragged a Level 80 chimera as if it weighed nothing.

System... who is this guy? Nate asked internally.

A familiar blue screen flickered into view.

[System Notification]

"That is Eden Vortane. Would you like to know more about him?"

[Yes] / [No]

Nate hesitated for a moment, then muttered, “No.”

He didn’t need the system to tell him what he could already feel in his bones.

Even with his aura hidden, the pressure radiating from the man was enough to make Nate’s instincts scream. And before he could even react, the man moved—just one step—and suddenly, he was right in front of him.

Nate barely saw him move.

“Excuse me,” the man said, voice cold as ice. His slightly long hair shifted to reveal sharp, piercing blue eyes that practically cut through the air. Everything about him screamed danger.

Nate’s eyes narrowed slightly. This guy... I might actually be in trouble.

Athena stood silently, her gaze fixed on Nate.

His expression was unreadable.

Even when Eden crossed the room in an instant and stood inches from him, Nate didn’t flinch. But Athena could tell—he wasn’t underestimating him.

Eden stepped past Nate and dropped the slain monsters onto the counter with a heavy thud. The sound sent a ripple through the guild, drawing everyone’s attention.

And still, Nate didn’t react.

He wasn’t even looking at Eden anymore.

For the first time since Athena had met him… he wasn’t smiling.

“Now that that’s done,” Eden said, turning back toward Nate. “My name is—”

“Eden Vortane, right?” Nate interrupted, his voice colder than usual.

Eden paused before smirking. “Amazing… so you know me. I suppose it’s only fair I know you.”

“Nate Williams,” Nate replied at last, turning to face him fully. Their eyes met—and the atmosphere shifted.

Tension crackled in the air.

“So… how are we doing this?” Nate asked.

Eden’s smirk faded slightly as his sharp eyes narrowed.

“Simple,” he replied. “You fight me. Then I’ll determine what rank you truly deserve.”

A wave of tension swept through the guild.

Adventurers exchanged worried glances. They’d seen what Eden could do. They knew what he was.

Nate let out a low chuckle, his smirk reappearing. “Great. Then let’s get started.”

His voice remained calm, but something in his golden eyes shifted. They burned brighter, taking on a deeper, more intense glow.

Eden held his gaze, feeling the raw confidence radiating from him.

This wasn’t just a challenge.

This was the collision of two monsters.

“Bethany,” Eden called sharply. “Prepare the arena. Tell the Guild Master I will handle this personally.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The pressure was suffocating.

Bethany hesitated. “But—”

Eden turned his head just slightly, flashing her a dangerous look that needed no words.

She stopped immediately and gave a quick nod before rushing upstairs.

Just as the tension reached its peak, the guild doors swung open.

Emily entered with her team—and froze.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw who was standing in the middle of the guild.

Nate. The Beast Changer.

But what made her stomach twist in fear was the man facing him.

Eden Vortane. The Demon Gladiator.

Her throat went dry.

This was bad—very bad.

Eden had joined the Holy Knights at the age of ten. By sixteen, he had become an adventurer. Since then, he had never lost. Not once.

And now, he was face to face with Nate… looking at him like he had finally found someone worthy.

Bethany returned, breathless from her sprint.

“The arena is set,” she gasped, “and the Master has approved!”

Eden turned back to Nate with a grin.

“Good. Shall we… Sir Nate?”

A heavy silence settled once more across the guild.

This wasn’t going to be a friendly match.

This… was going to be war.

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